


Sanctuary

by Enby_In_Fandom



Category: Pellinor - Alison Croggon
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Trauma, Violence, aro ace Maerad, asexual Ardina
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 14:12:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13789398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enby_In_Fandom/pseuds/Enby_In_Fandom
Summary: Turbansk was being rebuilt, Pellinor too. Fallen cities and Schools throughout all of Annar were being brought up once more, their beauty brightening the land, the villages once more filling with people.Yet, none of the many welcoming places seemed to be right for the Fire-Lily.She simply wished to be Maerad, someone simple and un-admired. A Bardic girl who simply attended her lessons and learned of the Balance and the Light and the Arts. She had not wished to flaunt her power in the face of other Bards, and so she had left.Which was had led her to the Weywood once again. It was odd, that Maerad would find herself back in this forest, even without the kinship she shared with the guardian of these woods.





	Sanctuary

**Author's Note:**

> This is just the first chapter, the second one may be slow to come. It’s just an idea for now, but I’d like to write more of it.

It was the sound of breaking twigs and heavily falling feet that had alarmed her to a presence in the woods with her, and Maerad extinguished the magelight that had lit her small camp a mere few moments ago. 

She had built a camp when the sun set, not lighting a fire but using a mage light to illuminate her camp, smiling as she recalled her journey with Cadvan through this forest, and how it had led to her meeting Ardina, yet she now put it out. 

She wonder softly if Ardina, who claimed to be her kin, who called Maerad ‘ _daughter_ ,’ knew of these intruders, or of her own presence as of yet. It was likely, and yet none of her arches had dropped from the trees to confront her, or the people. Perhaps Ardina was not as watchful as she had been so many years ago.

“The girl is here somewhere.” A rough, harsh voice snapped, much closer than before, pulling her from her thoughts. “We wouldn’t be here otherwise, I assure you. We tracked that _hlaf_ here, let us not lose hope when we are so close to our reward.”

Stiffening, she quickly cloaked herself, using a glimmer spell and hoping they would pass her by. Such was not her luck, as they stepped out of the trees moments later, looking directly at her, malice clear on their faces. 

“We’re looking for that Pellinor girl, Maerad.” They stated, spitting her name as if it was a disease in their mouths. She shook her head in the negative, taking a step away from them. “We tracked her to this Light-forsaken place, when she stopped warding her camps.”

“I don’ know any Mayrdrads,” she said, messing up her name and accent in hopes of throwing the men off. “I’m jus’ passing through.” They scoffed, stepping forward, glaring. One of them stepped away to go through her pack, and she balked. 

“‘Ey, that’s my stuff! You ain’t got no right to be goin’ through it!” She said indignantly, stomping over and snatching it away, glaring up at him. 

“Why do you hide your things from us? We were only looking.” One leered, and she hissed at him, stepping backward, her hand gripping Imi’s bridle tightly. 

“You can look elsewheres.” She snapped, masking her fear with anger as she tried to figure out who these men were, if they were Bards or not. They were silent a moment, eyes roaming all over her small camp before landing on her again. 

“I don’t think we need to, Maerad of Pellinor.” The one who seemed to be the leader, spoke coldly, and Maerad clutched at Imi’s bridle tighter, hoping she wouldn’t need to make a run for it. She was exhausted from her ride already, with much weighing on her mind.

“I ain’t this Maedrad you’re searchin’ for.” She insisted, and he grinned suddenly, a dark and twisted thing that seemed far to pleased to mean anything good. 

“Then why do you ride with her horse?” He asked, and she gritted her teeth, letting go of Imi and taking several steps backwards, dropping the glimmerspell, glaring. 

“Fine. I am Maerad of Pellinor. What do you want?” She bit out, gathering her power around her cautiously. 

“For you to tell the truth of your journey — that you, a mere _slave woman_ could never have been the One. Stop telling lies, admit that it was the boy, Cai of Pellinor that truly defeated the Nameless One!” Maerad lifted her chin in defiance, meeting his eye steadily.

“The defeat of Sharma was equal parts the song and the music. I could never have sang if Hem did not have the music. I refuse to say that he suffered everything I did, though I know he bore his own sorrows.”

“Then we must take action.” Said the other one, lowly enough that she barely heard it, and she looked over at him sharply, a mistake she quickly learned as the one in front of her drew his sword with a soft schwing of metal. 

She backpedaled, drawing Irigan from her side, falling into a familiar role of protecting herself. “Go, now. There does not need to be any troubles, we can settle this without fighting. You need to leave.” 

The men growled in response, and Maerad was grateful they were not Bards, for she did not think she could use her power in such a way after so many years. But she would not use it against these men either. 

The fight was quick, her blade clashing against his in a gleam of light. There was a whisper of sound, and a sharp, burning pain spread over her side as she cried out, moving backwards so that she was facing both of them, trying to keep her mind from the wound on her side, and the warm feeling of blood dripping down into her clothes. 

There was a surprised sound from Imi, just as the clearing seemed to darken as an ethereal light filled the clearing. Maerad looked up, her shoulders slumping as she saw Ardina, in her wildest guise, the one she had first met the Elidhu in. While the men were distracted, she dropped her sword and began to attempt healing herself. 

“You dare to hurt an innocent traveler in my wood.” Came the soft, but cold voice of the Queen of Rachida. “Dost thou have good reason?” The men stammered, and tried to give out excuses, but the Elidhu silenced them with a gesture of her hand, dismissing their words like a foul stench. 

“Leave this place, and think not about harming my kin again.” She said darkly, and the men nodded, scrambling to leave, dropping their blades in their haste. Once they had left, her attention turned to Maerad, who had pressed her hands against the wound in a an attempt to stanch the flow of blood. 

The girl looked up at her as she approached, and Ardina took note of the paleness of her face, the way that the Fire-Lily was trembling, and looked ready to collapse. Passing her hands over the wound, Ardina murmured in concern, fearing for her kin’s health. 

“Hush, my child, I have you. You are safe.” She assured, and Maerad nodded, knees buckling as the wound and exhaustion caught up with her in the wake of the short fight, and her eyes drooped, body slacking as Ardina caught her. 

“You are safe.” The Elidhu murmured again, moving away from the campsite, Imi following wordlessly as they made their way toward Rachida.


End file.
